Adhesive tape frequently comprises a long narrow backing of uniform width with pressure sensitive adhesive coated on one side. The backing is sometimes plastic. The backing is sometimes paper. Various adhesives are coated onto the backing. The adhesive coated backing is frequently rolled upon a cylindrical tape core. The tape core is frequently the same width as the tape it carries and is often cardboard or plastic. The tape core often has a relatively smooth cylindrical inner surface appropriate for mounting on a dispenser or for easy manipulation as is.
Adhesive tape products address many needs and are used in various environments. For instance, adhesive tape is used in the home or office in wrapping packages. Adhesive tape of a different construction is used in medical offices, blood donation centers and hospitals to fix absorbent materials, blood donation ports, medical intravenous appliances and the like to the human body. Adhesive tapes are also used in painting and otherwise modifying surfaces of automobiles, homes, offices, and other items. Some painting uses include protecting and/or creating unique designs and patterns on walls, ceilings, floors, et. al.
Some of the tapes used in the above-described environments and applications need protection from the environment for various reasons. Adhesive tapes which are used in some surgical and medical procedures need to be maintained in a sterile state. Adhesive tapes using particular classes of adhesives or additives to the tape need to be separated from the environment either to protect environmental surfaces or to prevent degradation of the adhesive or the additive to the adhesive in the tape. For instance, at least one commercially available masking tape includes materials which gel upon exposure to latex paints. It is important to protect these tapes from exposure to moisture prior to use as moisture may cause gelling of the tape prematurely. This can occur to more than just the outside layer of a roll of tape as the edges of the tape can be contaminated, negatively impacting the performance of the tape. Such tape is often sold in closed plastic containers to protect the edges of the roll of tape from moisture which may be encountered in the form of water or in the form of high humidity in the air. The plastic container is not merely for containing the tape in shipment and in presentation at retail, but also for use by the end user in maintaining the isolation of the tape before application of the tape to the intended work piece. Thus, should an end user use a portion of the roll of tape only on a given day, he may return the roll of tape to the container, close the container and thereby maintain the integrity of the tape and its constituents for use on an another day.
Other tapes used in the above-described environments and applications can include non-uniform widths, and/or irregular or treated edges. Non-uniform widths, along with irregular or treated edges of adhesive tape will need particular protection due to the fragility of the terminal side edges that are not completely supported by (i.e. non-coincidental with) all of the underlying layers nor the underlying tape core when the tape is placed onto a roll.
One conventional container or rolls of tape consists of a tub and lid. The tub has a circular flat bottom and a cylindrical side wall. The lid has a circular top and a cylindrical side wall sized to engage by overlapping the side wall of the tub. Thus, two separate pieces having different dimensions are required to contain a roll of tape. The tape under discussion is offered in various widths. Currently, three widths, 24 mm, 36 mm, and 48 mm are available. This requires a different tub for each size, resulting in four different product pieces for the containers of the tape.
Adhesive tape products are often sold in extremely large quantities in a very competitive environment. The costs of all components of adhesive tape products are therefore important.
The present disclosure contemplates a new package for adhesive tape and a method of packing adhesive tape which is inexpensive to manufacture and versatile in use.
In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a method of packaging a roll of adhesive tape is provided having two sides and a core. The method comprises: providing several container halves, each container half having a first side wall having a first circular periphery, a first outer wall extending from the first side wall outer periphery, the first outer wall having a substantially uniform height selected from a set of several heights generally perpendicular to the first side wall, the first outer wall adapted to surround at least a portion of the width of a roll of adhesive tape; at least one first inner wall segment extending from the first side wall inside the first outer periphery, the at least one first inner wall segment adapted to engage at least a portion of the core inner surface; selecting two container halves from the several container halves, the two container halves selected to have first outer wall heights which, together, approximately equal the width of the roll of tape to be packaged; and, applying the selected two container halves to the sides of the roll of tape to be packaged with the inner wall segments engaging the core of the roll of tape.
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a container for a roll of adhesive tape comprises two members, each member having a circular side wall, a cylindrical outer wall extending from the periphery of the side wall and at least one inner wall segment extending from the side wall in the same direction as the outer wall. The heights of the outer walls of the two container members are selected to approximately match the width of the roll of tape to be contained. The inner wall segments are positioned on the side wall to engage the core of the roll of tape. The two members are adapted to engage the two ends of the core of the roll of tape forming a package enclosing the roll of tape and protecting the sides and periphery of the roll of tape.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a container is provided for a roll of adhesive tape wound upon a core. The roll of adhesive tape having a first side edge and a second side edge and an outer diameter defined by circumferential wraps of tape. The core includes an inner surface and an inner surface diameter. A first member of the container comprises a first side wall having a first circular periphery, a first outer wall extending from the first side wall outer periphery, the first outer wall having a substantially uniform first selected outer wall height generally perpendicular to the first side wall, the first outer wall adapted to surround at least a portion of the width of the roll of adhesive tape. A first inner wall segment extends from the first side wall inside the first outer periphery, wherein the first inner wall segment is conical and adapted to engage at least a portion of the core inner surface. A second member of the container comprises a second side wall having a second circular periphery, wherein a second outer wall extends from the second side wall outer periphery. The second outer wall having a substantially uniform second selected wall height generally perpendicular to the second side wall, wherein the second outer wall adapted to surround at least a portion of the width of the roll of adhesive tape. A second inner wall segment extending from the second side wall inside the second outer periphery, wherein the second inner wall segment is conical and adapted to engage at least a portion of the core inner surface. The first member and the second member adapted to engage the first side and the second side of the roll of tape by engagement of the conical first inner wall segment and the conical second inner wall segment with the core inner surface. The first side edge, the second side edge, and the circumferential wraps of tape are suspended between and separated from the side walls and the outer walls of the respective first member and the second member.
Further in accordance with the disclosure, the inner wall segment can be one continuous cylindrical or conical inner wall or can be several segments of a cylinder or cone spaced from one another. In either case, the inner wall segment is adapted to engage the inner surface of a core of a roll of tape holding the member to the core of the roll of tape.
Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, ribs are provided on the outwardly facing surfaces of the inner wall segments to engage the inner surface of the tape core.
Further still in accordance with the disclosure, the inner wall segment can be a tapered or conical hub or can be several segments of a tapered or conical hub spaced from one another. In either case, the inner wall segment is adapted to engage the inner surface of a core of a roll of tape so that the sides, edges, and outer circumference of the roll of tape are suspended within and/or separated from the container and prevented from touching the sidewalls and outer walls of the container.
Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, the ribs are circumferential, that is, following a circular pattern with the ribs being spaced from the side wall of the container member.
Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, container members are provided with outer walls of several heights so that tapes of several widths can be accommodated in containers economically.
Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, the outwardly facing side wall surfaces of the container members are provided with grooves and ribs which will engage one another when two container members are brought together back to back and aligned.
Still further in accordance with the disclosure, the container member side walls are provided with a foot extending beyond the circular periphery, the foot terminating in a flat edge allowing a contained roll of tape to be stood on the feet.
Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, a method of packaging adhesive tape is disclosed using container halves with a side wall, an outer wall and an inner wall segment. Container halves having various outer wall heights are provided so that two container halves accommodating a selected width of tape may be selected to package the roll of tape.
It is a principal object of the disclosure to provide a container for a roll of tape which will protect the roll of tape from ambient conditions and surroundings which is versatile in application, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to use.
It is another object of the present disclosure to provide adhesive tape containers which may be fabricated by injection molding using molds without slides.
It is a still further object of the present disclosure to provide adhesive tape containers which can be interlocked with one another whereby multiple rolls of adhesive tape may be sold together and/or stored together conveniently.
It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide an adhesive tape dispenser which can be stably stood on edge for compact storage and also merchandising with the side wall of the container displayed in an easily read vertical position.
It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide an adhesive tape container which is easily understood, disassembled and assembled by the consumer and intuitive in its operation.
It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide an adhesive tape container consisting of two unitary molded plastic parts which is easily recyclable.
It is yet still another object of the disclosure to provide a container for a regular roll of tape with treated edges and/or an irregular roll of tape, with or without treated edges, which will protect the non-uniform side edges from ambient conditions and from contact with the container itself.
Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will occur from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof and from the accompany drawings in which: